SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi President Barham Salih met with Army’s Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir Yarallah on Monday, stressing the importance of security coordination between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
Salih said military operations should continue to defeat terrorism in the country, the Iraqi presidency said in a statement.
He also stressed the need for enhancing security and stability in Iraq, the statement read. He also emphasized that the diplomatic missions should be protected.
“It is essential to strengthen the capacity of Iraqi security forces and improving their fighting ability,” Salih was quoted as saying.
“There is a need to further strengthening security coordination in addressing the challenges and bridging security gaps, like it happened in the battle against ISSI when our armed forces, the PMF and the Peshmerga have achieved great victories over terrorists and recaptured cities from their hands.”
The meeting came one day after the top Iraqi commander along with head of Hashid al-Shaabi Falih al-Fayyadh met with Kurdistan Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in Erbil.
They stressed the importance of joint coordination between the Iraqi and Kurdish forces to confront ISIS militants, particularly in the disputed areas, Barzani’s office said in a statement.
Iraq declared victory over Islamic State in December 2017 but the militants have regrouped in the Hamrin mountain range which extends into the northern provinces – an area described by officials as a “triangle of death”.
